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If you’ve beem curious about the rise in athletes slugging beet juice prior to major races and competitions, there’s science to back up the trend. Quite a lot, actually: 300+ clinical studies have studied the benefits of nitrates on performance, specifically with Beet It Sport. Their concentrated beetroot shots are 98 percent all-natural beet juice blended with 2 percent lemon juice (from concentrate) to help round out the taste. More than 90 percent of the nitrates are absorbed in your bloodstream and these levels stay elevated for 6-8 hours. Of that percentage, about 25 percent is concentrated by the salivary glands (the rest is excreted) and converted to nitrite. Then, acid in your stomach converts it to nitric oxide, which is what boosts cardiovascular performance. That means athletes can experience greater endurance, strength, and speed, as well as improved blood pressure and flow. Studies have found a prolonged time to exhaustion, better VO2 max, and reductions in aerobic energy cost—essentially helping athletes improve their stamina while running, cycling, and swimming. Generally, it’s recommended to take 2 shots 1-3 hours before training for 6 days prior to your event, as well as on the day of your competition (there’s no advantage to taking more). I tried it leading up to an Olympic triathlon, and will continue to do so for any future races. They’re easy to toss back—not entirely unpalatable if you don’t love beets. And while I can’t definitively say they boosted my performance, this is the strongest I’ve felt pre- and mid-race. I’ll take any marginal gains I can get. — Brittany Smith, Senior Editor

[$49.99, 15-count; amazon.com]

 

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